Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1887-09-10

from choice china With lar less relish and salts
| isction. supper over, we gathered some hem.
l ioch ooughs ana cut on quantity OF the small
featherytips 10 put on our bed and as the sun dis
| appeared behind the pines We made ready 10 e
out, In the hope OF getting
DAYLIGHT snoT.
| The guide got the old boat into the water with
the least possible noise, aud, discardng the oars
srasped single paddle which we had brought
| with US / got carefully into the bow. facing tor
| ward with my feet damned into the Snail space
| In front OF the bow seat aud my knees po6ed ul
| Almost TO the level OF my chin. To avoid maxim.
| noise by scraping my shoes against the sides OF
Inc tne ooat had put on moeasins, and these
| found not only less noisy. but more comfortable
sen, paddle In hand, In the stern seat, and hay-
ing nrnly grasped my gun so as 70 be prepared to
naul up, take aim and lire at a seconds notice. we
softly pushed out into the Lake. The surface OF the
| water was as smooth as polished silver, not a
Sreele stirring, and not bind, beast or insect
broke the absolute silence which still hung over
| Ihe region. The spruces, balsams, cedars and
petniockS rose In regular ranks Ike ghostiy sent-
ne!s about the margins OF the lake and our boat
| as IL stole along 80 slowly that its motion was
scarcely perceptble 10 It's occupants, seemed at
| once 70 become harmonious part OF the weird.
| silent symphony which struck more deeply upon
sue inward ear than any music ever written.
NO one who has ever been padded by a sklIliul
guide can fail 10 be struck by the wonderful dex-
.errty With which ono OF these men handles a
ooat How paddle can be handled so as TO pro.
auee the effects obtained by these guides Is 4
wonder 10 one not accustomed to witness IT, In
open water the boat Is moved forward or back
ward, is turned this way or that
IN ABSOLUTE SILENCE
ana without producing the slightest ripple about
The boat. In going over lily pads slight muliied
noise Is unavoidable, and In swainps and marshes
Is impossible TO prevent the boat scraping occa-
sionaiiy over hidden root or stump: hut even
under these unfavorable conditions an expert
paddier Will shoot In and out turn and twist about
ana crawi up into al sorts OF unlikely places In a
Wy mat no one who has not seen &c can believe
possible All this Will be done too as softly and
eent! and silently as the football OF a cat, and
Win only such poor light as may be obtained from
the rays OF the jack lantern streaming out ahead.
But We are forgetting our daylight shut in ad-
niIing the skillIui padding OF the guide. Slowly
anu So:tly our boat crept along toward the head
OF the lake where there was all extensive marsh a
| lavorite feeding ground for deer. With ears
strained TO catch every sound and eyes earthly
scanLihs every portion OF the margin OF the
marshes in turn, we wound into the dense beds of
MY pads that lay on top OF the water at the en-
Irahce OF the lake proper, and cautiously made
our way up the Inlet. We wound In ana out
among the clumps OF marsh grass and followed the
slnuoslties and labyrinths OF the marshes and SO
gradually made our way back again TO the lake
without having our eyes gladened by sight OF a
| deer. In the same manner the boat crept along
tne Snore To the 0Sher end OF the lake 10 another
maIsh, which we penetrated as far as possible
with similar results. Then the silent figure In the
stern softly turned the snout OF the old boat home
ward and sent her ahead with a force that soou
| brought US back to our camp All the
| time not half dozen words had been spoken
ana those In guarded whisper. Stirring up ouI
l
hlling IL with his favorite mosquito killing mix.
| ture, squatted down before the campfire and in
| Vious experiences in hunting and fshing Mean.
| wnlie llt cigarette, and, throwing myself on
blanket In the shanty, listened and qucs.
| TONED ana exclaimed, and waited for il TO grow
| dark enough for US TO light our Jack and 60 out
| again. We had not long TO wait. The jack, which
much resembles an ordinary rejecting lantern for
| stationary outdoor use, was mounted on a stick
about Tour feet high, and the stick then Inserted
Into hole In the small decking at the bow of the
jack, which casts its rays far ahead, illuminating
the water Tor considerable distance. As silently
as before we pushed forward across the lake. BY
| this time the fog had gathered on the water and
drifted and swir1ed In queer, Irregular masses be-
lore us, at times seriously Interfering with our
outlook: Then how different everything seemed
uhder the light OF the jack. The My pads looked
like pieces Of SOFT white paper scattered on the
| water. The yellow lilies appeared phospnores-
cent, and the water seemed dotted with dull spots
| or name. The trees and bushes along the bank.
took on fantastic shapes and even the lines or the
| banks, somehow, seemed strange and unfamiliar
| In the distance the outlines or the high noun.
tains could be dimly discerned against the
| sky and now and again the drifting masses OF
clouds broke away sufficiently to reveal toe
were In the marshy labyrinth. Suddenly the boat
came TO standstill, and a faint warning "hist'
reached my ears from the stern. In an instant
forgot all the strange ancanny features OF the
night In this lonely region, which had carried my
mind far away from ali thought OF deer for the
last few moments. The boat slowly turned to the
| left and again stopped. 1 listened with all my
might and strained my eyes In an endeavor tO
penetrate the darkness and the fog. Again came
the warning "hist, and then some distance ahead
I heard faint splash In the water AGAIN aud
again 1t was repeated, but strain our eyes as hard
as might be. neither the guide nor myself could
there could be little doubt. softly, but swiftly
the boat went ahead straight in the direction OF
the sound. felt that the moment for which had
been SO long waiting was upon me. I was about
to get shot at deeri Yes, yea Just q little 10
the right, through the clearing fog, dimly out
lined against The darker background Of the woods,
standing Ia the water. The guide whispered some
thing, but could not hear 1t, so loudly oAd nay
heart thump against my ribs. Ny pulse
WENT Up TO 17OIN THE SHADE.
And as brought my gun to my shoulder dis
covered with a sickening feeling that my arm
shook worse than 1t did when had my FIRST attack
OF malaria. ! Twas going to have the buck ague.
Steadily we drew nearer the dim object on the
bank, and tremendous was the effort made TO
steady my hand. All the Will power possessed
summoned TO my aid, and REINFORCED IL by such
philosophical reflections as / thought likely 10
have quietfng effect on my nerves. In measure
my Efforts were successful, my arm grew steady,
and got my gun into position, but Just then
discovered that the shadowy object was only a
pecuharly-shaped stump. AT about the same in
slant the boat grated harshly on concealed ub.
| there was spashing in the water some distance
ahead, and the frightened deer crashed away
through the bushes, whiStling In mingled defiance
| and alarm as he went. The guide made few
scriptural remarks in a subdued but emphatic
tone Of voice, which ! fully endorsed IL did not
echo them; then he drew the boat cut OF the
marsh and made for the other end OF the lake
Here We were not even rewarded by hearing q deer
and the sky having cleared and the moon arisen
by this time. We made for camp, chilly and DAMP
and more or less Disguised at our iii fortune
However, we soon had cheerful fire blazing before
! our rude shanty, ana after brewing something
warm to fOrestall any il-eects OF our exposure 10
the night air. we wrapped ourselves in our blankets
and were soon sleeping sOundly on our fragrant
though not oyer-soft bed OF hemlock 'browse. y
The next morning we concluded TO abandon Big
Stafford. and shortly before noon made our way
across the swampy trail to the point where we
had left our boat That night we 1oated on the
first lake OF the north branch and below the lake
on the river, but though we heard no less than
five deer, we sighted none. Still determined to
have venisOn for Deerreather CAMP IL possible
we resolved TO float another night on the lake and
river This time, In accordance with the old pro-
verb fortune SMILED on US and
WE GOT OUR DEER.
It was not what all ambitious hunters desire a
buck but no reasonable man could under the cir
cumstances nnd FAULT, SO we 1oyously and triumph
antly bore homeward our fat little two-year-old
doe. ON the third night We had foated down the
shot, but saw no signs OF deer. When we got
down as far as We thought IL profitable to go we
put about in disgust and Lit our jack more for the
purpose OF avoiding the rocks and stubs going up
shot under It. The guide padded along
careleSsly and made no great effort to be
silent. AS We came TO sharp turn where the
water was deep and the sandy banks were usually
well cut up by deer tracks, he whispered that we
ought to keep sharp look out, as IL was known
as one OF the best points on the river grasped
my gun, which had laid down In the bottom OF
my canoe when we turned about and prepared
for action. was not a moment too soon As we
came about the point We heard muffied sound In
the river ahead. and a Quick rparehfn, pis ro